Pain throbbed low in her back. Christ. This was the last thing she needed. The stress of everything, as well as the lack of sleep, was making her back pain worse.
It was a vicious circle.
“There are things going on you don’t understand. Please don’t tell Aleksandr.”
Miller peeked up at Finn, who gave Sofia a strange look. But he seemed to realize that Sofia wasn’t going to give in and go with them.
“We need to go, Miller.”
She nodded. “I know. Sofia, I have to tell Rogan about this. I can’t keep him from talking to your cousin.”
Sofia sent a panicked gaze over her shoulder. “Can’t you leave Oleg’s name out of it? Please, Miller.”
Miller bit her lip as Sofia gave her a pleading look. If Rogan said something to her cousin, especially before she could... let’s just say that things wouldn’t go well for anyone involved.
“Fine. I’ll keep quiet about Oleg’s part. Be safe, Sofia.”
Safe. Right.
God. She wished she could just walk out with Miller right now. Find somewhere safe to go.
But she couldn’t risk Oleg releasing that video or her secret. Not at the moment. This had to be played right.
So she turned away and headed back into the kitchen. Anton and Pavel weren’t there. They’d probably headed out for a cigarette. So there was no one there to witness as Oleg slammed her against a wall, his hand around her throat.
The pain in her back was so intense that she was close to vomiting or passing out.
“What the fuck you think you doing?” Oleg snarled in her face.
He really had to start using some mouthwash.
“What did you think you were doing? Rogan is going to kill you for touching Miller!”
To her surprise, rather than looking worried, he just grinned.
“Oh, you no idea what fuck going on here, Sofia. Stupid slut. But don’t worry, you soon find out.
“What does that mean?” she asked, trying to breathe slowly through the pain.
But Oleg didn’t answer her.
Then, to her shock, he stepped away as someone called out her name.
The rep she was supposed to be meeting with.
Whistling, Oleg walked away.
Sofia didn’t know what to think of that. And it made her more nervous than ever.
“Papa, can we go home?”
“Not yet, Solynshko,” her father told her. “I want you to lay down in the back seat and go to sleep for me, all right?”
She huffed out a sigh as he placed a blanket over her before he got in the car and started driving.
Sofia didn’t know what woke her. But when she sat up, it was dark and cold.
And she was alone.